The Tenth's Right Hand
by strangertrack
Summary: Gokudera becomes the Tenth's right hand. Literally.


If you've seen Midori no Hibi, you know where this idea is coming from.

**The Tenth's Right Hand**

It was all the baseball idiot's fault.

"Heads up!"

"Huh?" Gokudera looked up from his notebook, just in time to catch the speeding baseball with his face.

There were explosions and stars and five swirling Tsunas. "Gokudera-kun!"

_Ah, I've died and gone to heaven_, was Gokudera's last thought.

xxxxx

Consciousness came slowly and Gokudera found himself in darkness. Oh, he really _was_ dead. He couldn't see a thing.

But there was something comforting about this place, a familiar scent and feel. Gokudera lit up a smoke and laid back in wait.

"Hiiiiieeee! My mitten is on fire!"

Tsuna tore the mittens off in panic and got the shock of his life. There, poking out from his sleeve, was not his normal hand. Instead, there was the top half of a naked mini Gokudera, cigarette dangling off an open mouth.

"T-tenth!" Gokudera launched himself at Tsuna and ended up hugging his face.

"Hiiiiiiieeeee!"

"No-Good Tsuna. Why are you punching yourself when you should be training?"

"Reborn!" Tsuna flailed his left arm around as his right refused to cooperate. "It's.. it's... Gokudera-kun! What should we do?"

Tsuna finally managed to unstick Gokudera from his cheek and present him to Reborn.

Reborn gazed unblinkingly at Gokudera, then looked over at a teary-eyed Tsuna.

"Hm. I'll forgive you for slacking since bonding with your guardians is important."

"REBOOOOOOORN!"

xxxxx

"I'm sorry that I can't do any better, but I'm no good with my hands," Tsuna apologized. "And I can't ask Mom or Haru to help me without raising a lot of questions."

"Don't worry about it, Tenth!" Gokudera's voice was muffled but spirited under the layers of concealing gauze. "It's much better than when Romario-ossan patched me up."

"Oiiii, Sawada!"

"Oniisan!" Tsuna quickly stood up and hid Gokudera behind his back, but it was too late.

"Can I take it by your EXTREME bandaged hands that you're ready to join the boxing club?"

"N-no!"

"Haha, don't be so shy, Sawada! Let's go right now!"

"Hiiiiieee!" Tsuna barely evaded the quick jab and nearly fell to the floor.

"How dare you attack the Tenth, stupid turf-head!" Gokudera snarled and headbutted Ryohei.

Ryohei skidded back and caught his balance.

"Ohhh! That's the spirit, Sawada! That was a pretty impressive punch!" Ryohei enthused. "But now it's my turn. Extreme migi straight-o!"

"Hiiiieee!"

xxxxx

Even as a hand, Gokudera was smarter than he was. Tsuna idly tapped a pencil with his left hand as Gokudera scratched out weird symbols all over his math notes.

"Sawada! Sawada Tsunayoshi!"

"Yes!" Tsuna sat up straight to see the teacher looking at him in disapproval.

"What's the answer to problem number 27?"

"Um... um..." Tsuna flipped through his notes frantically as the class tittered around him, feeling his cheeks burn.

"Psst. Tenth. It's 59," Gokudera whispered.

"59?" Tsuna ventured.

"...correct," the teacher said grudgingly, then moved on to easier prey. "Yamamoto, how about you? What's the answer to number 18?"

Yamamoto smiled with ease, immune to embarrassment. "80?" he guessed.

"Wrong."

"Hahaha, it was worth a shot."

xxxxx

"Er... can you please close your eyes?" Tsuna was a pretty shade of pink.

"Oh! Of course." Gokudera obediently did as requested and Tsuna fumbled awkwardly with his clothes. It took a while to unbutton and remove his clothes with only one hand, but Tsuna eventually managed.

"Okay, you can look now," Tsuna announced after he had settled into the tub.

Gokudera felt a pang of disappointment that the bubbles obscured most of the view, then mentally kicked himself for thinking of the Tenth in such an impure way.

"I'll help wash your hair," he offered, seeing Tsuna struggle to uncap the shampoo. He lathered up Tsuna's hair, noting how soft it was despite the usual prickly appearance, then scrubbed up his own hair with a happy hum. Not only was he indisputably Tsuna's right hand, they got to bathe together and share all their daily experiences!

"Tenth, are you okay?" Gokudera asked in concern, when he noticed Tsuna staring. Thinking of it, the Tenth was kind of red. Maybe the water was too hot?

"Ah, no, it's nothing!" Tsuna flailed his left hand at him, turning even redder. "Nothing at all!"

"Oh?"

"I was just thinking that... Gokudera-kun seems..." (not dangerous and scary) "...somewhat cute like this?"

"Tenth!" Gokudera clung onto Tsuna's wet, slippery chest, exploding with happiness. "Ah, that's right! I'll help you scrub, too," he said excitedly as he grabbed the washcloth, eager to be of more assistance.

"No, Gokudera-kun, it's alright! I can do it myself!"

"What good is a right hand if it can't help you out?"

"But... but... that's... that's my... you can't touch there!"

"Waaaah~! Tsuna~! Is that a hand puppet? Lambo-san wants to play, too!"

Lambo cannonballed into the bath, splashing soap water everywhere.

"You stupid cow! I'm going to _kill_ you."

xxxxx

"Oya? I'm rather disappointed."

"Hah?"

"Someone else managed to possess your body before I did."

"H-how did you know?"

"I know everything about you, Vongola. But no matter. Your storm may have your hand, but I can take something better."

"Hey! Hey! Get your hands off him right now!" Gokudera growled, biting Mukuro's hands which were firmly cupping Tsuna's ass.

"Kufufufu, perhaps we can make this a threesome?"

"No deal, damn pineapple head!"

"Oh, of course. A foursome if you count in Chrome."

"Hiiiieee!"

xxxxx

"It's against school regulations, to have a herbivore for a hand."

"What? You just made that up right now. There's no way that's a rule."

Hibari slammed down the Holy Book of Namimori Regulations and pointed out the passage.

"Well I'll be damned," Gokudera whistled in amazement. "It really does say that. It also says that anyone found carrying sakura or sakura paraphernalia will be bitten to death six times."

"So?"

"So?" Gokudera challenged.

"Sawada Tsunayoshi must refrain from having you for a right hand or be expelled from school."

"That can't be!" Tsuna cried in dismay.

"We don't even know how we ended up like this. Even if we wanted to, there's no way to separate us!"

Hibari narrowed his eyes and brought out his tonfas. "I can help you find a way."

xxxxx

"Gokudera-kun, Gokudera-kun."

"Haaaaaa?" Gokudera's head hurt like a bitch. Goddamn that showoff Hibari.

Tsuna's face swam into focus.

"Are you okay? You were hit pretty hard."

"Hahaha! Sorry about that, Gokudera." Yamamoto laughed sheepishly. "I guess I don't know my own strength."

"Huh?"

"Don't you remember? You got hit in the face by a baseball."

Gokudera sat up, gingerly touching the clumsy bandaging over his face. He was back to normal, with a lower body that inconveniently got overexcited whenever he saw the Tenth.

"Then... being the Tenth's right hand was all just a dream?" he asked, unable to conceal his disappointment.

"Hahaha, so Gokudera even dreams of being Tsuna's right hand man when he's conked out. Such an interesting guy."

Tsuna smiled at Gokudera and patted his hand. "I'm glad you're okay, Gokudera-kun."

It only took one little touch from the Tenth to get Gokudera fired up again.

"Tenth, I swear to work really hard to become your right hand."

"...okay? Good luck?"

"And I promise this time that stupid cow won't interrupt."

xxxxx

**The End.**

xxxxx

January 4, 2009


End file.
